Trade Scenario No. 2 – Indiana Pacers

Boston Celtics Receive: C Myles Turner, F Doug McDermott, G Jeremy Lamb, UTA 2021 2nd Round Pick (via IND)

Indiana Pacers Receive: G Kemba Walker, G Javonte Green 

While they did sign Tristan Thompson this offseason, the Boston Celtics have long been linked to NBA trade rumors centered around Myles Turner, and being able to get him would solidify this team as one of the top teams not just in the Eastern Conference, but the entire NBA.

We will see how Boston does this year at the center position, as they signed Tristan Thompson in the offseason, but bringing in a guy like Myles Turner could bring this Celtics franchise their 18th championship in the organization’s history.

Not to mention, Myles Turner could play alongside Tristan Thompson in the frontcourt, giving Boston a great rebounding tandem and one of the top interior defensive teams in the entire NBA.

Since entering the NBA in 2015, Myles Turner has been one of the best defensive centers in the entire league, averaging 2.1 blocks over the course of his career. Being an avid shot-blocker and a threat to have a double-double every night would change the dynamic of the Boston Celtics on both the offensive end and defensive end of the court for the better.

As mentioned earlier, Boston has had their struggles in terms of bench depth over the years as well, as they have consistently had one of the worst benches in the entire league. Acquiring two veteran guys in Jeremy Lamb and Doug McDermott in addition to Myles Turner could do wonders for the Celtics’ bench and gives them two reliable, double-figure scorers to call upon. 

Over the course of his career, McDermott has shot 40.9% from three-point range on 1258 attempts. He is a big-time shooting threat on the wing and can open up the Celtics offense a lot. Both Myles Turner and McDermott would bring an intriguing floor spacing dynamic to Boston. Also, much like McDermott, Jeremy Lamb is also a scoring threat on the wing but does it a little differently. 

Lamb is a pretty consistent three-point shooter, shooting 33.9% from deep over the course of his 8-year career, but is a gifted scorer driving to the rim. He has always been known to be an above-average athlete and uses his skills to drive past his defenders, typically in one-on-one situations.

From Indiana’s perspective, they would be giving up a solid amount of depth and their rim protector underneath in Myles Turner, but Kemba Walker can be a big-time addition to this backcourt as they do not have a true, reliable point guard. Malcolm Brogdon is a score-first type of guard and not as strong of a facilitator as Kemba is. Plus it remains to be seen how long Caris LeVert will be sidelined.

Walker is a floor general and this is exactly what the Indiana Pacers need in order to be a legit championship contender in the East. They have the personnel to make a deep playoff run, but the Pacers need a true leader on the court, especially with T.J. Warren out now indefinitely.

The Celtics have Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum as their two-star players and with this trade, they would have one of the NBA’s best interior defenders in Myles Turner as well as a reliable bench. This is the formula for a championship for the Boston Celtics. If they can execute this trade and only trade away Kemba Walker, it would be a major win for a franchise looking for their 18th championship in franchise history.